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Café

69 Kensington, at Baldwin, 416-593-2672. This beautifully restored brick-lined take-away in the former Pizzabilities combines the best of the old Market with the new. Caterer Cora Devries offers retro pastries as well as inexpensive take-home entrees made up of whatever she's cooking that day. Bonus: free samples! Best: Persian flatbread-based pizza slices topped with made-from-scratch tomato sauce 'n' mozzarella and toppings like grilled artichoke with roasted eggplant, shredded chicken breast, or grilled steak, caramelized onion and bleu cheese; sinfully rich butter tarts; both chocolate and caramel brownies; gluten-free macaroons; miniature carrot-cake cupcakes with vanilla frosting; whole wheat penne with grilled peppers in house tomato sauce; buttery spaghetti squash with sage and Parmesan. Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes, tip and a soda. Average main $5. Open Tuesday to Sunday noon to 7 pm. Closed Monday, some holidays. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: one step at door, no washrooms. Rating: NNNN

Contemporary

Magic Oven

6 Wellesley W, at Yonge, 416-929-7888. Tony Sabherwal's east-side pizzeria has grown considerably since it first opened in Riverdale in 97. Now a six-outlet chain and counting, the Oven focuses on eco-conscious toppings and crusts that offer both health benefits and taste. Not only are several of the pies gluten-free, but so's the beer! Other locations: magicoven.com. Best: salads of curried quinoa and lentils over mesclun; thin-crusted pies like Feel-Good Magic topped with tandoori chicken in gingery tomato sauce, green-tea-infused tofu, snow peas, roasted peppers, almonds and mozzarella; Bountiful Magic pizza with spinach, potato, artichoke, pecans, walnuts, blueberries, tomato sauce and lotsa mozza; at brunch, Tuscan Sunrise pizza with scrambled egg, Asiago, chorizo, ham and bacon. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches/brunches $25), including all taxes, tip and an organic beer. Average main $16/$10. Open Monday to Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 10 pm, holidays 3 to 10 pm. Licensed. Delivery. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

French

Patisserie La Cigogne

1626 Bayview, at Manor, 416-487-1234. Thierry Schmitt's postcard-perfect Parisian patisserie specializes in classic French pastries - croquembouche, anyone? - as well as a short card of all-day sandwiches and egg dishes. Best: Saturday and Sunday only from 11 am to 3 pm tarte flambée, an Alsatian take on pizza topped with sliced onion, bacon and cheesy béchamel; eggy quiche Provençale with chèvre, Roma tomato, basil and ham, sided with house greens and tart citrus vinaigrette; made-to-order sandwiches built on chewy house-baked baguette, like roughly textured and deliciously fatty cottage pâté with Dijon, and a refreshing combo of Brie, green apple and English cucumber. Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes, tip and a tea. Average main $7. Open Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 7 pm, Saturday 8 am to 7 pm, Sunday 8 am to 5:30 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Italian

Autogrill

495 Eglinton W, at Tarlton, 416-489-0961. Tastefully designed to resemble an Italian gas station/diner, this upwardly mobile pizza and pasta joint offers fare that's anything but middle-of-the-road. With walls the palest of pastels and accents of chrome and glass, the room recalls some 60s new car showroom crossed with a chic airport departure lounge. Best: stone-oven-baked thin-crust contemporary pies like affumicata with strips of Italian smoked salmon, goat cheese, caramelized onion, mozzarella and house tomato sauce; the vegetariano with broccoli, roasted red bell peppers, onions and zucchini with mozza' and sauce; the house's trademark spinello, a burrito-style pizza wrap stuffed with the likes of chicken breast, diced tomato, bacon, lettuce and honey-mustard mayo. Complete meals for $40 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18. Open Monday to Thursday 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 10 pm. Licensed. Delivery. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement.

Rating: NNN

Bitondo

11 Clinton, at Henderson, 416-533-4101. As authentic as old-school takeout pizza gets in Toronto. A bare-bones operation across the road from the Monarch Tavern and San Francesco's, this relic from the mid-60s - dig that retro mid-century ceramic tile and screaming-orange plastic furniture - pumps out a no-frills pie that wins with classic ingredients. Nothing nouvelle whatsoever. Makes a great breakfast! Best: The Bitondo family's authentic southern Italian medium-thick-crusted pies come in four sizes piled with only four topping options: pepperoni, green pepper, canned mushrooms and anchovies; massive and messy meatball sandwiches; tasty ravioli in house tomato sauce; burp-inducing Brio.

Complete meals for $12 per person, including all taxes and an Ital soda pop. Open daily 10 am to midnight. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

1163 St Clair W, at Dufferin, 416-656-6159. This family-friendly old-school trat offers some of the best no-nonsense Italian food in town. Though some local pizzerias don't fire up their ovens till suppertime - hello, Ferro! - Marcello's has its ready to roar by noon. Other locations: 3175 Rutherford, at Jane, 905-532-0184. Best: from the wood-burning pizza oven, the Compagniola, a 12-inch thin-crust pie layered with spicy sausage, grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and tomato sauce; French-cut veal chops in green peppercorn 'n' marsala sauce; to start, rich chicken-broth-based Stracciatella Fiorentina soup swirled with tomato and spinach; mixed greens tossed with peppers, artichoke and shaved Asiago in balsamic vinaigrette. Complete meals for $40 per person ($30 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a glass of vino. Average main $17. Open Monday to Wednesday 11:30 am to 10:30 pm, Thursday to Saturday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Sunday 1 to 10:30 pm. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Terroni

57 Adelaide E, at Toronto, 416-203-3093. Since it opened on Queen West back in 92, this string of southern Italian trats has become one of Toronto's favourite pizzerias. Why, there's even one in West Hollywood! Now, with the addition of cavernous - and extremely noisy - digs in the old Courthouse, Terroni continues to pack 'em in. Other locations: 720 Queen W, at Claremont, 416-504-0320; 1 Balmoral, at Yonge, 416-925-4020. Best: grilled calamari over house greens; house-made papardelle topped with crumbled sausage, wild mushrooms and garden peas; secondi like slow-roasted pork shoulder in pan gravy; very thinly crusted pizzas with minimal toppings. Complete meals for $45 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of featured wine. Average main $16. Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 11 pm; daily 9 am to 11 pm (Queen); Monday to Wednesday 9 am to 10:30 pm, Thursday to Sunday 9 am to 11 pm (Balmoral). Closed Sunday (Adelaide). Licensed. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement (Adelaide); barrier-free (Queen, Balmoral). Rating: NNN